Preparing for Smart Product-Service System (PSS) Implementation: An investigation into the Daimler Group

Renato Ferreira Junior, Gabriela Scur*, Breno Nunes

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

This paper aims at investigating the main factors behind advancing the integration of products and services in the Brazilian subsidiary of Mercedes-Benz (MBB), and how Smart PSS has been perceived by other business units of the Daimler Group. We conducted an in-depth qualitative single-case study research to investigate the critical steps preceding the implementation of a smart PSS. The study was based on the main tactical areas of a PSS business model which was applied to MBB’s possible integration of their equipment (called Fleetboard) in a smart PSS solution. The findings demonstrate that the internal culture of a product-centric automotive manufacturing firm can prohibit the sales of services, even when service technologies are available. On the other hand, financial pressures can create the sense of urgency required for the firm to appreciate the necessity of change. The process of change is too complex, since it requires capabilities in key areas such as the law, marketing, networking/partnerships, design, sustainability, and organization and human resources management. Our study shows how the company considers alternative options in order to reduce organizational barriers, develop partnerships and legal competence to offer PSS contracts, as well as seeking alignment between design, marketing and sustainability requirements.
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)56-70
Number of pages15
JournalProduction Planning and Control
Volume33
Issue number1
Early online date19 Aug 2021
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2022

Bibliographical note

This is an Accepted Manuscript version of the following article, accepted for publication in Production Planning & Control. Renato Ferreira Junior, Gabriela Scur & Breno Nunes (2021) Preparing for smart product-service system (PSS) implementation: an investigation into the Daimler group, Production Planning & Control. It is deposited under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/), which permits non-commercial re-use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Keywords

  • PSS
  • Smart PSS
  • business model
  • operations strategy
  • servitization

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Preparing for Smart Product-Service System (PSS) Implementation: An investigation into the Daimler Group'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this